Ely-Kelso punting well

ATHENS – No one notices punting until there are problems with it. At least that’s the way it seems.

However, there was a lot to notice with Gordon Ely-Kelso’s punting performance against South Carolina last Saturday.

“It was amazing. He really hit some good punts, and that really put our defense in a good position – that was real big. The punts helped because we spent most of the game on their half of the field,” said cornerback Paul Oliver of Ely-Kelso’s work.

Ely-Kelso punted the Cocks into a corner all night long. Of his five punts against South Carolina, four of them ended up inside the 20-yard line. It made scoring on the Bulldogs that much more difficult for Carolina. Ely-Kelso said that he’s doing nothing different, but feels more at east punting these days.

“I’m not doing anything different,” said the junior. “I think I am more comfortable, and I kind of know what to expect.”

Ely-Kelso’s work has Georgia at the top of the list in the most important statistical category: net punting. The Dawgs are third in net punting, behind only LSU and Florida, averaging 40.3 net yards a punt.

“Gordon is punting them high and deep and that's what we want,” said Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt, who has praised the punter’s effort for the last few days.

But Ely-Kelso, like many punters, has a short day every now and then. When he’s not punting a storm, he and the rest of the kickers watch the game on Sanford Stadium’s new big screen monitor.

“We huddle at the end of the bench and watch the game on the big screen. The new scoreboard has been really nice for us,” he said with a smile.